What is the difference between 2D and 3D Engraving?
Adding curved or three dimensional elements to your medal can be a great way to jazz up your design. For the novice medal buyer, it’s hard to understand the difference. This article breaks down the two different ways you can use 3D.
Sports medals can be designed in tow different ways. Medals by nature are a 3D object but we are referring to how the mold is engraved. The reason we need to make a distinction between the two is the 3D set up charges can be double 2D designs. This is due to the time it takes to create the mold.
How do you tell the difference between the two? Look for curved elements such as the leaves on the Nordic medal and the curved edge on the U24 medal. Our factory uses specialized CNC machining equipment to create stamping molds or casting molds.
2D Cast Medals
The basic and still extremely popular technique of making casts is the 2D technique. This method allows to place any patterns on the project, which on the finished cast will be reproduced in two planes – concave and convex.
The advantage of casts made in 2D technology is definitely the low cost of preparing the mold. It is perfect for designs containing inscriptions, logotypes or other pictures that do not require very complex details.
The disadvantage of 2D products is the lack of possibility to present elements that require a lot of details, such as facial features, for example.
3D Cast Medals:
3D can be accommodated with the die struck process. [ In most cases it’s very simple 3d such as a flower or leaf. Sometimes you need to increase the base metal thickness so we can engrave the medal thick enough. On the ScotDance medal below the dancer and the maple leaf are rendered in 3d with the rest of the medal in 2D
In contrast to the 2D technique, the projects made in 3D allow for greater complexity of individual details. The additional dimension makes it possible to reproduce all those features that could not be captured in a 2D project.
3D casting technique is therefore perfect for projects displaying complex elements such as faces, buildings or vehicles. Designs made in 3D technology look more prestigious, so they will be a perfect match for situations where a certain level of product quality is required.
What has so far discouraged customers of MCC Metal Casts from choosing 3D projects was the cost of making the mold, but it has also ceased to be a problem. Due to the development of production technology and machinery, 3D molds are no longer an expensive solution and became available to the majority of clients who care about unique designs.
We are a manufacturer of 2D and 3D casts. We carry out orders for customers from Poland and all over the world. If you are looking for a manufacturer of sports medals, commemorative medals, pins, advertising key pendants or orders, click the button below and see what we can offer you: